The Fence Post

Chicken Wire in Production   

The video below shows how chicken wire mesh is woven. You can see how the wires are twisted together to make a hexagonal opening. Chicken wire is also known as poultry netting or hexagonal netting.

The Continuous Weave Creates Inherent Strength

This particular machine is weaving mesh used in making gabions. Although the mesh is larger (3") and the wires used are heavier (11 gauge and heavier) than the chicken wire you can buy at your local store, the manufacturing process is similar.

There is one difference. This machine is doing continuous weave -  the twisted wires run in the same direction the entire length of the twist. Chicken wire available in stores is made with a reverse twist - the twist switches direction (reverses itself) halfway through the length of the twist. Continuous weave is inherently stronger than reverse twist. Good to know.

Is this the first time you have seen a loom weaving chicken wire?

Increasing Blueberry Yield

The 8' fence, angled to the outside of the blueberry patch, is easy to build and easy to move. Simple in design, this deer fence uses seven strands of wire.

And it cost him ¢.40 per foot to build!

Prior to building the fence, the patch typically yielded 3,500 pounds of berries. The season after he built the fence, the yield was up to 14,000 pounds!  Joe Wave of Wave's U-Pick Blueberries in Kaleva, Michigan talks about his innovative deer fence:

Which of these rolls of wire fence would you buy? Do they have the same footage? If they are the same, why do they look so different? Not all rolls are created equal.

The final diameter of a roll of welded or woven wire fence is determined by four things:

• mesh opening size
• the gauge of the wire used
• the size of the spindle upon which it is wound
• how tightly it is rolled at the end of the assembly line

In the example above, all three rolls of heavy woven wire fence are identical in mesh size, gauge, height, length, and weight. They even have the same core openings. And yet they appear to be completely different. The roll on the left is wound very tightly. It is almost half the diameter of the right-hand roll which is wound under less tension. If you were to buy one of these rolls, which would you choose? Would you prefer the smaller roll because it is more compact and easier to handle? Or would you choose the larger roll because it looks as if it has extra footage?

Checking the Weight

Different wire mills may have different size spindles. And they may roll their product under different tensions. So if you see wire fence products in the store that are labeled with the same gauge, mesh size, width, and length, they may look very different. A quick way to tell is to check the weight of each roll.

Imported wire fence is usually very tightly wound. Rolls have a small diameter hollow core. This saves space, allowing more rolls to fit on a pallet. Higher density per cubic foot enables more pieces to be loaded in a container, cutting the shipping cost per piece.

Have you ever encountered this when buying wire fence?  Which one did you buy and why?

Building it Yourself

This helpful video shows you one way of building a chicken wire run.

Chicken Wire Pulled Tight  

Stop Replacing Wire 

You can use black vinyl coated 1" hexagonal chicken wire for the added benefits of a longer-lasting product--reducing the cost, frequency, and hassle of replacement--plus a more attractive pen. The black coating of the wire makes the fence virtually invisible. You can see your birds through the fence more easily.

Do you have other ideas or suggestions about building a chicken run using chicken wire?

Old stone walls are sometimes referred to as stone fences, a common sight in New England. They can be found: 

• along roadways and hiking trails
• marking property and field boundaries
• surrounding cemeteries

They run through the deep woods and up into the mountains - a silent testimony to the untold hours of sweat and hard labor spent in getting the land to yield sustenance.

Up comes a fresh batch of rocks...

As land was cleared, rocks and boulders had to be moved to create fields for crops and grazing animals. Each spring a new "crop" of rocks was thrust to the surface by the winter's frost. Either moved by hand or with the aid of draft horses or teams of oxen, stones were moved no further than necessary.

The accumulation of rocks was piled along fence lines separating fields and defining property boundaries. Often these walls or fences were no more than elongated piles of rocks. After the farms became more prosperous, the piles were rebuilt into the more aesthetically pleasing walls that can be seen today.

Condos for Wildlife 

The walls were fashioned without mortar and relied on the shape of the rocks to create stability. Over the years, some walls were dismantled and the stones were used for other projects. The untouched walls settled and tumbled down, becoming encrusted with moss and lichens. They are a habitat for many types of wildlife--small creatures take refuge in the crevices, spaces, and tunnels. Mice, squirrels, chipmunks, and weasels are residents, as you may notice and their tracks will be in evidence. The walls may serve as a system of trails by larger animals or foxes may deposit scat on or around the walls to alert others. As temperatures climb, spiders, worms, and insects use the stonewalls for shelter while tree frogs and snakes take refuge as well--hibernating beneath during the winter months. 

A Silent Legacy 

Today stone walls or fences have become a cultural icon. Many contemporary landscape designs incorporate this feature, though they can lack the aesthetic charm of the traditional walls. The farmers who built them have passed on, yet what a legacy and marker the walls make for us and future generations, and in many cases they still serve as boundaries and evidence of past times. 

Do you have any stone walls on your property?  Do you think stone walls make an effective fence?

Take a walk or hike in the New England countryside and stone walls will no doubt be a part of your experience.